New Life
by BeachBunnyJ16
Summary: This takes place after the war against Voldemort. Harry won and got the girl in the process. And even him and Draco have been able to put aside their differences and become friends. But what happens next will turn everyone upside down.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: Hey! I'm back after a **long** hiatus with a new story. I'm studying abroad at the moment so I can't promise the chapters will be constant but I will try my best. Enjoy!

Summary: This takes place after the war against Voldemort. Harry won and got the girl in the process. And even him and Draco have been able to put aside their differences and become friends. But what happens next will turn everyone upside down.

**Chapter 1**

It had been two years since the downfall of Lord Voldemort. In that time things had gone back to a relative normalcy with some obvious changes. For instance, there would always be a spot at the Weasley table that couldn't be filled no matter how large the family grew. And there was Teddy, who reminded everyone so much of Harry. Orphaned and alone, the family fulfilled his every need and request so that he would never feel the sadness or loneliness that Harry had suffered as a child.

But all in all, things had gone back to what you would call normal life. Ginny considered this as she starred out her window one spring evening. It was her favorite time of year and one of her favorite type of nights. The sky was that perfect shade of dark blue but with streaks of pink and purple from the setting sun. And the air was warm enough that you felt comfortable but also gave you the feeling that anything could happen.

She had just finished Hogwarts this past year. She had lost a year since it took a while to repair the damage left behind after the Final Battle. But she had finally graduated, not that it meant she knew what to do with her life. This didn't really seem to bother anyone though, much to her surprise. However, she had her theories as to why.

She had started dating Harry full time shortly after the Final Battle. For a while there was too much grief but slowly the world got back in order and he had asked her out on a date. She was no longer a love sick little girl but they grew to have a relationship that was built on trust and love. They were there for each other and became each other's rock.

Her parents were thrilled, especially her mother who had always wanted Harry to be her son and she was already planning the wedding that would make it official—not that Harry had asked her yet. Ron and Hermione had also gotten together which pleased everyone immensely. Everyone considered the four of them to be two perfect couples who were meant for each other.

And maybe it was for this reason that no one was particularly concerned that Ginny hadn't figured out what she wanted to do with her life. In their eyes, Harry had enough money to support them and she would be his wife soon enough. While it annoyed her that everyone just assumed she would live her life as a housewife with no career or ambitions of her own, it did take the pressure off while she figured out what she wanted to do.

"Hey Gin," said Harry as he came over to the window and gave her a hug from behind. "You're mom told me to come and tell you that she needs your help."

"Ok," she said sighing as she got up from her seat on the windowsill. She smiled at Harry and kissed him on the cheek. He smiled back and took her hand as they walked downstairs. There was a total comfortableness between them that was very pleasant. She felt content which was a welcomed feeling after all the turmoil the war had put her through.

They walked down the stairs and into the kitchen to find it the normal hustle and bustle which comforted her so much. It was Sunday night which meant the whole family, and even some close friends would be coming for dinner.

"Ginny dear, I need your help with the potatoes. Harry, would you mind taking those plates outside. We're going to have to eat out there with everyone that's coming," said Mrs. Weasley using her wooden spoon to point to the stack of dishes. Ginny let go of Harry's hand and went over to the stove where she immediately set to work. One thing that she had gotten better at since she was home doing nothing was cooking. While she never used to enjoy it, she found that she recently she loved to spend time in the kitchen with her mom as they cooked and talked.

Harry picked up the plates and walked out the back door but was almost knocked on his butt as Teddy came running in the kitchen.

"Ginny, ginny, ginny!" he yelled as he latched himself onto her leg. Ginny giggled and bent down to pick him up.

"Yes, my teddy bear?" she smiled adoringly. For some reason Teddy had become obsessed with Ginny since she moved home from Hogwarts and she spent most of her day playing with him while helping her mom around the house.

"Draco is coming for dinner!" he said excitedly. This was a surprise. While Harry and Draco had put aside their differences and become friends working at the Ministry together it was rare that Draco would come around, mostly because some of her other brothers hadn't forgiven him so easily.

Ginny hadn't seen Draco in almost six months but she blushed at the memory of the last time she saw him. The last time she had seen him was when she went out to a bar with Harry and the gang. It had been strange, him hanging out with them like one of their friends, but, surprisingly, he had fit in and she had a great time with him. At the end of the night she had even been so drunk that she gave him a big hug and told him that she was happy he was no longer a git. She was still embarrassed looking back at it but Harry had assured her that Draco had found it amusing and wasn't offended at all. She guessed she would find out tonight.

"Oh, we'll need another plate!" said Mrs. Weasley waving her wand as another place setting flew over to the counter. "Ginny, take that outside, will you dear?"

She went to put Teddy down to pick up the plate but he clang onto her tighter and refused to let go.

"Oh, very well," she said relinquishing to the little boy's will. She just couldn't say no to him. Instead she whipped out her wand and levitated the setting in front of her as she walked out the back door.

Outside Harry and Ron had quickly set up the table and were now talking about the latest Quidditch game. She set the plate down on the table, conjured another chair for the table and then joined Harry and Ron.

"Hey little man!" said Harry fondly ruffling Teddy's hair. Harry took his role as Teddy's godfather very seriously and would have been raising him if Ginny's parents hadn't insisted on it. However, Harry still tried to give them money whenever he could, though the Weasley's financial situation was definitely doing better since the end of the war.

"Hi Harry! Hi Ron!" he said distractedly. Teddy started to wiggle in her arms so she let him down and he was soon running off towards the bushes. He had probably seen a garden gnome and wanted to try to catch it. They let him go, knowing that they had a ward around the yard so he couldn't get too far.

Harry slipped his arm around Ginny's waist and gave her a squeeze. She smiled and turned to him.

"I didn't know that Draco was coming," she said.

"Oh, yeah, I invited him the other night because he's seemed pretty down lately and he doesn't really have any family anymore so I thought this would be good for him," Harry explained.

Draco's father had been sent to Azkaban along with all the other Death Eaters, even though he didn't participate in the Final Battle because his crimes had been too great. Unfortunately, while Draco made peace with this his mother couldn't and she had gotten extremely sick and passed away a few months ago so he was left without any family.

"Well that's good. Where's Hermione?" she asked Ron.

"Ehh, I don't know. I think she's upstairs or something. She's been off today," he said shrugging. Ron was always so nonchalant that Ginny had to laugh.

However, all of a sudden she heard a scream that she knew was Teddy's. She turned quickly scanning the lawn while whipping out her wand when she saw a flash of bright blonde hair. She relaxed as she realized that it was just Draco who was holding Teddy upside down as Teddy screamed in delight.

She noticed that both Harry and Ron were also relaxing from their attack reactions. It seems that some things hadn't completely gone away with the end of the war. They would all always be ready for a fight.

"Put me down!" said Teddy while giggling.

"Okay," said Draco as he dropped Teddy a little and scooped him up before his head hit the ground.

"Hey mate!" said Harry walking over to Draco and shaking his hand. Draco shifted Teddy to hold him with one arm while shaking Harry's hand with the other. Ron followed behind and shook Draco's hand though a little more reserved. While Ron claimed that he liked Draco, Ginny knew that there would always be a part of Ron that wouldn't like and didn't trust him. However, it wasn't worth the fight so he had kept his opinions to himself.

Ginny followed behind and blushed slightly as she got close to Draco. He finally put Teddy on the ground, right side up and straightened up to see her.

"Hi Draco," said Ginny giving him a little shy wave. She was still embarrassed from the last time she had seen him.

"Hey Ginny. How are you?" he asked, nodding and giving her his confident Draco smirk. This only made her blush more but she looked him straight in the eye not wanting to seem like some little school girl.

"I'm good. I was sorry to hear about your mother. How are you?" she asked kindly.

"Oh, thanks. I'm doing okay. Just keeping busy," he said briskly. "So, did you hear about what happened to Thomas at the ministry today?" he asked turning towards Harry and Ron.

Feeling awkward and not wanting to just hang around with the boys Ginny turned and headed towards the house to finish helping her mom. She hoped that Draco wasn't upset that she brought up his mother's death. She just felt that she should express her condolences since she wasn't at the memorial.

_Ugh! This is why I like having a boyfriend. No having to worry and analyze everything I say or he says!_

* * *

Within half an hour the entire Weasley family, Hermione, Teddy, and Draco were assembled at the table laden down with food.

"Everything looks great Mrs. Weasley," said Hermione.

"Well thank you dear," said Mrs. Weasley smiling at Hermione.

"Yes, I agree. And thank you for having me," said Draco very properly. Even after all this time he still wasn't quite comfortable with the entire Weasley family as he knew some still harbored some ill-feelings towards him.

"Anytime, dear. You know you are always welcomed," she answered. Mrs. Weasley had been one of the first to completely accept Draco and welcome him in as one of the family. Mr. Weasley, on the other hand, was not as happy but knew better than to contradict her.

Soon everyone was eating and side conversations picked up. Ginny looked around the table to see Percy, who like Draco was always a little uncomfortable, talking very actively with his father about some government regulation.

_Some things never change I guess_.

Smiling, she continued down the line where George was making faces behind Percy, making Teddy crack up. Hermione and Fleur were talking about Fleur's pregnancy, as she was about 4 months along and starting to feel symptoms, while Bill listened without commenting. Harry, Ron and Draco were whispering about something secretly.

"So baby sister, what are you doing with yourself these days?" asked Charlie.

"Not much. I've just been helping mom around the house and taking care of Teddy and stuff. I do a little writing here and there but nothing major. Not very exciting but I don't know what I want to do," she explained.

"Well, that's nothing to worry about dear. You'll figure it out. Besides, I've so loved having you to help me around the house," said her mother who had been listening. "You know I'm not as young as I used to be and it's so hard to keep up with a toddler at any age."

"You don't have any plans for the future?" asked Draco. She hadn't realized he had been listening and she felt a stab at the comment.

"Well, it's not quite as bad as that. I just don't know what I want to do right now," she quipped.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I was just surprised is all."

"Why would that surprise you?" she asked now interested.

"Oh, I don't know, it's just…"

Before he could finish his comment there was a loud commotion at the other end of the table. From the look of it George had "accidentally" put a canary crème on Percy's plate and when he transformed into a canary Teddy screamed so loudly that all of the gnomes in the garden went running like crazy.

Everyone looked at each other for a minute, as if to see if they should laugh or not, and then everyone burst out laughing. Ginny looked across the table to see even Draco full out laughing, something she had never seen before. Normally he only ever smirked but here he was throwing his head back and laughing. He looked so childlike that she smiled before realizing that she had been staring at him far too long. She quickly ducked her head and blushed hoping no one noticed.

When she glanced back up it seemed as if no one had as they were all focused on the Percy-canary who was currently pecking at George's head.

"Oh, alright, alright!" said George taking out his wand and performing the counter-charm so that Percy reformed as his real self in a heap on the ground. He quickly got up and straightened his robes and glasses then turned to glare at the table.

Everyone quickly quieted and looked a little humble until Bill coughed "chirp" and then they were all laughing again.

"Sorry Perc, you're just too easy of a target," said George slapping him on the back as he sat back down. Percy looked mildly annoyed but merely rolled his eyes. Although he wouldn't admit it, Percy was glad to be back with his family after so long. He also missed Fred so he gave George a little slack every now and again.

"Well, I think that's enough excitement for one meal. Ginny, would you help me clear the table?" Mrs. Weasley asked standing up and taking her wand out to levitate some plates. Ginny did the same and followed her into the kitchen.

* * *

Later that night after everyone else had left Harry and Ginny sat cuddling in her bedroom. He was lightly playing with her hair and she was just thinking.

"Did you have a good time tonight?" she asked him as he twirled one of her bright red locks.

"Yeah, you know I always love spending time with your family. Did you have a good time? You've been seeming a little down lately."

"I had a good time. I think I'm just a little depressed since I don't really know what I want to do with my life. I have no direction or purpose," she explained.

"Babe, I've told you, you have all the time in the world to figure it out. And you do have purpose. You help your mom with the house and Teddy and you are a great girlfriend to me. What more do you want?"

Ginny thought about this. She knew that Harry hadn't meant it in a bad way but it sounded like he thought that she should be satisfied being his girlfriend, taking care of the house, and raising children for the rest of her life. And as much as she respected her mother for the sacrifices she had made Ginny knew she didn't want that for herself. However, she didn't want to start an unnecessary argument.

"Yeah I guess you're right," she said shrugging.

"I love you," he said kissing the top of her head.

She smiled and turned around her torso to face him.

"I love you too," she said kissing him on the lips.

"I should probably go. I have to be in to work early tomorrow."

"Okay, want me to walk you down?" she asked as she sat up to let him off her bed.

"No, you stay in bed and relax. I'll see you tomorrow," he said bending over to kiss her forehead before he grabbed his coat and left the room.

Later that night as she was trying to fall asleep she couldn't stop thinking about what Harry had said. It was so hard for her to deal with all the people in her life just expecting her to marry him and be his housewife. Her thoughts then unwittingly turned to Draco. He had seemed so surprised when she had said she didn't know what she wanted to do but she had no clue why. It's not like he really knew her. However, it was nice that someone had higher expectations of her, even if it was Draco Malfoy. With the thought that tomorrow she would do some serious planning she drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**: Here's the second chapter. Some of you were asking some questions about Ginny's life before this story takes place and I'll be sure to add some info in the coming chapters so just be patient. In the meantime, enjoy the second chapter.

**Chapter 2**

Ginny woke up feeling like she wanted to do something spontaneous today. But first she would need to get out of the house. Glancing out her window she saw that it was going to be a beautiful day. She got up and quickly showered and got dressed. She then grabbed some scrolls, quills and ink, threw them in her purse and headed downstairs.

She found her mom out back doing some gardening.

"Morning mum."

"Oh Ginny dear, there you are. I thought you were going to sleep in all day. Would you mind doing the laundry for me? This garden is taking longer than I thought it would," she said as she yanked a weed out of the ground.

"Actually mum I was thinking about heading into Diagon Alley today and do some writing. Would you mind?" she asked though she felt a little silly being a grown adult and having to ask her mother if it was okay.

Mrs. Weasley looked a little surprised but nevertheless said, "Of course, dear. You go right ahead. I know I keep you here all the time anyways. Take a day to yourself and the laundry can wait."

"Thanks. I'll be back before dinner," Ginny said as she gave her mother a quick kiss on the cheek. She then walked to the end of the driveway and disapparated.

She arrived in front of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. She thought about going inside to visit George but felt too anxious to get started and so she decided she would visit him before she left. Instead she walked down the street to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour where she sat down at one of the vacant tables outside.

When the war ended Diagon Alley had to be completely rebuilt since there was so much destruction but ever since it was finished Ginny loved to come here and watch the people walking by. She also occasionally wrote stories but lately she hadn't been inspired to write. Until today, of course.

Florean saw her through the window and hurried out.

"Ginny! How good to see you! You haven't been here in months," he said.

"Yeah, things have been busy at home but I was able to get away today," she said smiling. When she would come to people watch she always came here because Florean let her sit as long as she wanted and occasionally he would even give her some free ice cream. She had a feeling it had to do with the fact that she was dating Harry and he used to do the same for him during the summer when Harry stayed at the Leaky Cauldron.

"Well, what would you like my dear?"

"Just the usual," she said.

"Coming right up," he said with a grin as he headed back inside. With him gone Ginny turned her attention to the surrounding area. Monday was always a great day to come because the street was filled with so many mothers running errands and trying to keep track of their children. Of course it was during school time so all of the older kids were off at Hogwarts but there was still plenty going on.

Ginny spotted a particularly harrowed looking woman. She was pretty young and couldn't be more than a few years older than herself. In one hand she pushed a stroller with an infant inside and with the other hand she tried to hold on to a wriggling little toddler. By the looks of it the boy was trying to break free and run to the Quidditch shop. The woman finally sat down on a bench a few shops down from Ginny and made the boy sit next to her. She then pulled out a snack from under the stroller and handed it to the boy who greedily took it and started eating giving her a moments rest.

After observing all this Ginny reached into her bag and pulled out her writing supplies. She would often find subjects who she only saw for a few minutes but she would then write a story around them trying to guess their life. With another glance at the woman who was once again getting up to walk further down the street Ginny started writing like she hadn't in months.

She had written half a scroll when Florean came out with her burger and fries and a chocolate milkshake. She said thanks and paid him and then continued to write only breaking for short minutes to eat her lunch.

By the time that the she finished her burger she had written another scrolls worth. She smiled inwardly to herself at how much she had accomplished. She wasn't sure if the story was any good but at least she had been able to write again. That was when she looked up and saw a familiar blond man walking towards her.

She wasn't sure if he had seen her yet and immediately thought about running away before he saw her. But then she thought better of it. Why should she have to go away? And besides, why shouldn't he see her? It's not like they had a problem with each other anymore.

"Hey Draco," she said when he was close enough. He looked up and spotted her. For a second he almost looked embarrassed but then he put on his confident smirk and came over.

"Hey Ginny. What's up?" he asked looking at her stuff on the table.

"Just finishing lunch. You?" she asked trying to turn over her scroll without him noticing.

"Me too. I was just heading back to the office. What are you working on?" he asked nodding at the scrolls she was trying to nonchalately tuck into her bag.

"Oh nothing much. Just some writing I was doing," she answered. He looked at her as if asking her to explain so she elaborated. "I like to come here and write stories sometimes."

"Really? Can I read it?" he asked with a little bit of shock and condescending tone. She immediately bristled at his manner. She knew she was a good writer and hated when people suggested she wasn't.

"Sure," she answered handing over the scrolls. He took a seat across from her and started to read. Ginny hated watching other people read her work so she tried to focus on the people passing by though her eyes kept being drawn back to Draco.

About five minutes later he looked up from the scrolls. "Wow, I have to say, I'm impressed. You're a good writer."

"Thank you," she said snatching them back with a little smirk on her face.

"Is it about you?" he asked blatantly to which she balked a little. The story was about a woman who felt trapped in her life because she had married young, had kids, and was now stuck in a marriage to a man whom she didn't love.

"Why would you ask that?" she asked with a sharp tone.

"I don't know, the main character just sounded like you and don't most people write what they know. Obviously I know you aren't married and don't have kids but it just sounded like it was told from your point of view," he explained running a hand through his hair. He looked uncomfortable but also like he was trying to gauge her reaction. She blushed a little but tried to keep any other expression off her face.

"Well, it's not. I just made it up. But I'm glad you liked it," she answered.

"Do you write a lot?"

"When I have time. I haven't written in a while though but there was something about today," she replied looking into his eyes. He was looking at her so intensely that she had to look away. "Anyways, I should probably be heading back."

"Yeah, me too. I have a meeting in an hour. Actually, it's with your boyfriend and some other people," he said as they stood up.

"Harry?" she asked but in her surprise she dropped all of her writing stuff that she was trying to put in her bag on the ground. "Oh great!"

She dropped to the ground to try to retrieve all of the quills and scrolls. Luckily the ink hadn't spilled otherwise it would have ruined her story. Draco also bent over to help her. He grabbed a quill that had broken and handed it to her. As their hands touched she blushed but then she frowned as she saw that the one that had broken had been her favorite one.

"Oh, I really loved this quill," she said sadly as she shoved it in her bag along with all the other stuff. Draco then stood up and offered her his hand to get up. She took it and stood up avoiding his eyes. She felt weird having talked to Draco about her writing. To her it was so personal. She had come a long way to be able to write like she did now and she barely knew Draco.

"Thank you," she said glancing up at him. She gave him a shy smile.

"No problem," he said giving her a smirk. For some reason she felt the faintest tingle of butterflies in her stomach looking at him.

"I, um, I guess I'll see you later. Bye," she said as she quickly walked away in the opposite direction. Only once she was a few shops away did she glance back to see him strolling towards the Leaky Cauldron.

She breathed a sigh of relief but couldn't understand why she had been acting that way. She had no reason to be nervous around Draco and she definitely shouldn't be feeling butterflies around him. She had a boyfriend who she loved with her whole heart. She decided to push it out of her mind and ignore it. It was probably just because she didn't often show other people her work and she had only just started writing again.

For a moment she thought about going into a shop to get a new quill but decided against it. The one she had lost was a very nice and expensive one and she didn't want to spend the money on it right now. She would just make do with other ones in the meantime. Also, she thought it was best for her to go home and help her mum. It would take her mind off things anyway. With that she disapparated back to the Burrow.

* * *

The rest of her night went pretty quietly. She helped her mom with dinner and the laundry and Harry stopped by for a bit but then said he had to run. For some reason Ginny wasn't really sad to see him go. It wasn't that she didn't want him there and in fact, she was quite happy when he was there to keep her company. But she remembered a time when all she wanted was to be with Harry and she never wanted to spend a second without him.

She pondered this and the earlier events from the day as she got dressed for bed. She was happy she had gone out today to write. It had been so long but it still felt good to just sit and write endlessly without thinking. Of course, this also lead her to think about her encounter with Draco today. She blushed thinking about him but scolded herself. There was no reason to blush over Draco Malfoy. He may have changed but he was still Malfoy.

She was just about to get under the covers when she heard a sound at her window. She looked over and saw an unfamiliar owl sitting on the ledge with a small package. She walked over and untied the package. Before she could look any closer at the owl it flew out the window. Instead, Ginny turned her attention to the package now in her hand. It was long and thin and wrapped in green and silver paper.

She opened it and found inside the exact same quill as the one that had broken earlier that day, even down to the purple feathers. There was no note but it was obvious from the wrapping and what had happened earlier that it was from Draco. Maybe she did have something to blush about after all.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Well, here's the next chapter. Sorry for the delay but my sister was visiting and I was in Paris. Luckily, I have some more time in the next few weeks so expect more chapters soon. Enjoy!

**Chapter 3**

"What are you doing here?" she asked the man in the doorway of her bedroom.

"You were thinking about me so I came to see you," he answered as he sauntered into the room. She was standing next to the window looking out at the sunset.

"How did you know I was thinking about you? I wasn't thinking about you," she answered shaking her head. She had a strange foggy feeling in her head like things were moving too fast and slow at the same time.

"Are you sure?" he asked now standing inches from her body. She could feel the heat radiating off of him and a blush rose to her cheeks. He grabbed her waist with one of his hands and with the other one he traced her cheek. "Because I think you can't stop thinking about me."

Somewhere in the back of her mind a voice was screaming that this was wrong but the larger part of her didn't care because she wanted this.

He bent down to kiss her and she looked up into his grey smoky eyes when...

"GINNY! Wakey wakey!" yelled the little boy as he came running into the room and jumped on her bed.

Ginny woke with a start and could feel her pulse racing as she looked around disoriented. There sat Teddy on her bed bouncing up and down. It had only been a dream. But it had felt so real.

Then she realized who she had been dreaming about and gasped. What the hell? She was definitely not supposed to be having dreams about cheating on her boyfriend and especially not with him of all people.

"Ginny, are you awake?" asked the little boy tugging on her arm.

"Yes, yes, I'm awake," she answered before flopping over and putting her head in the pillow. "I'll be downstairs in a minute."

"Okay," he said taking one final bounce off her bed and running out the door.

Once she heard him thundering down the stairs she turned over. Looking out the window she could see it was another beautiful day but she couldn't feel as excited as she had yesterday. The dream still hung over her head and she couldn't shake the feeling that she wanted to return to it, and also the extreme guilt she felt over having the dream at all. Frustrated, she got out of bed and quickly tied up her hair and headed downstairs.

She found her mother in the kitchen working away furiously.

"Hey mum," she said to draw her mother's attention.

"Ginny, finally! You know, you could do better things with your life than sleep in all day. I could really use some help. Ron and Harry are coming for dinner tonight and they're bringing some others from the ministry. And of course he only just sent me an owl so now I have to prepare for a dinner party in a few hours. I need you to watch Teddy and clean up the house while I go out to the store and get the food," she said as she grabbed a grocery list off the table.

"But mum, I was really hoping to go to Diagon Alley and write some more today," Ginny replied trying not to sound too annoyed.

"Well, I'm sorry dear but we have more important things to do today. Besides you just went yesterday and you have responsibilities here. If you want to go tomorrow maybe you should get up earlier," her mother replied. Ginny looked at the clock and realized it was noon. "Now please, just have the house ready for guests when I get home. And don't forget to give Teddy his nap at 2 sharp or he'll be cranky. Thank you, dear."

With that her mother walked out the front door. Ginny looked after her feeling frustrated and angry. She didn't ask for this life. She didn't ask for these responsibilities. And no one seemed to understand that writing wasn't just some fun activity for her. It was something she really wanted to do.

However, she couldn't blame her mother entirely. She was still living at home of her own free will and it wasn't like her parents charged her rent or anything so it wasn't unfair for them to expect her to help out. And it wasn't that she didn't enjoy helping out with the house or Teddy. It was more about the fact that they still treated her like a child who had chores to do and was just being lazy by wanting to go write all day.

She sighed and realized there was nothing that could be changed about it now so she should just get it done and hope to do some writing while Teddy was taking his nap. She quickly set about charming the kitchen to clean itself. Luckily, cleaning spells came as easily to her as they did her mother otherwise she would be much more annoyed about the situation. Once everything was working away she went off to find Teddy playing in his room.

* * *

A few hours later she had successfully cleaned the downstairs, fed Teddy and put him down for his nap and was about to start writing. But what to write about? Unfortunately, there wasn't a lot of inspiration here, just memories.

She thought for a minute about what Draco had said yesterday about writers writing about what they knew best and decided to write about herself. She normally strayed away from writing about herself after the diary incident in her first year at Hogwarts. She feared the idea of writing down her inner most feelings and thoughts again just to have them used against her. In fact, that's what had caused her to start writing stories in the first place.

The summer after the Tom Riddle incident Ginny was having some problems dealing with what had happened. Luckily that was also the summer her father had won some money and took them to Egypt. They also had some money to send Ginny to a psychologist so she could talk about her problems.

While talking helped a little, what really helped was when the psychologist suggested that she start writing stories to cope with her pain and fear. While Ginny couldn't bring herself to write about her own life, there was something soothing about writing about other people's lives and so for years she would come up with stories based on people she knew. She had a ton of stories about Harry that she kept hidden and had never shown him from when she had had a crush on him all those years ago.

While mulling this over, she started to write without even knowing what she was writing about. For at least 30 minutes she sat there writing non-stop without even really considering the direction of what she was writing. When she finally finished she reread it and realized that she had written about what happened after the war. But it wasn't just about the facts; it was more about her feelings. In fact, it seemed more like a diary entry than anything else she had written in years.

Reading it, however, was harder for her. While reading it, she felt like she was reliving all the fear. The nights afterwards where she still had nightmares about Voldemort being alive and that he had won. She remembered waking up in a cold sweat, screaming, because she had just dreamed that her whole family was murdered. Then there was the realization after she woke that some of her family had been killed and wouldn't be there when she walked around the house checking that everyone was safe in their beds.

With tears in her eyes, she hastily moved the papers away and tried to shake the memories. She had tried so hard to forget everything, yet it was still there in the back of her mind, always waiting. Luckily, her mother shook her from her thoughts as she entered in the house with her grocery bags floating in front of her. Ginny shoved the papers in one of her books she had next to her and got up to help with the food.

"Ginny, the place looks great. You're such a good girl for helping me all the time. Thank you," she said as she put the groceries on the table. Ginny smiled accepting the praise. She knew that her mother appreciated the help and loved her for it.

"Of course mum. So, what are we making?" she asked rolling up her sleeves.

* * *

By six the dinner was mostly ready and the table was all set.

"Mum, do you know who Ron is bringing?" Ginny asked as she filled up water pitchers. She was pretty familiar with most of the people Ron worked with mostly because they had been in her year or a few years before. She was always happy to see them, but also felt a little weird being around them when they all had jobs and she still lived at home.

"Well, let's see. I think he said Dean and Seamus, Parvarti, Justin, Draco, and Hermione of course," she answered while stirring the soup.

"Draco's coming?" Ginny asked surprised as she nearly dropped the water pitcher she was holding.

Her mother turned to her and gave her a funny look. "Why yes, I think so. I'm pretty sure that Ronald said he was. Why dear? Is something the matter?"

"No, no, I was just surprised is all. He normally doesn't come to these things," she said fighting to keep her voice casual.

"Yes, I know. But I guess he's had a change of heart. And it's good for him too. He shouldn't be alone so much. Make sure to make him feel welcomed, alright dear?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course," she replied as she walked out the bag door with the water pitchers in hand. She put them down on the set table and then ran a hand through her hair, tugging on the end.

"Ughhhh!" she yelled a little looking up at the sky and setting sun. Draco was the last person she wanted to be around right now, especially with Harry there.

"What's wrong babe?" said a voice as a hand enclosed her waist pulling her into a hug. She jumped a little before realizing who it was.

"Oh, Harry, you scared me!" she said giving him a little glare.

"Sorry Gin. What's the matter?" he said leaning in to give her a kiss.

"Nothing," she replied turning her head so he kissed her cheek. "It's nothing, really, just some stuff. Um, I should go and finish helping mum."

Before Harry could reply she ran off towards the house. It was stupid for her to be acting like this but all she could think about was the encounter with Draco yesterday and then her dream last night. She felt like Harry would know just by looking at her about the thoughts she had been having. She ran into the kitchen and collided with the person walking out the door.

"Owww," she said from the ground, rubbing her bottom that had broken her fall. She looked up to see who she had run into and saw none other than the man she had been thinking about, Draco Malfoy.

"Draco!"

"Hey red. Training for the 100 meter dash? A little hint, you don't want to hit the hurdles, you go over them" he teased smirking at her. She stuck her tongue out at him and pushed herself off the ground.

"Funny," she replied pushing past him into the kitchen. She looked over to find her mom and realized she wasn't there.

"You're right. Are you okay? Even though you were the one who hit into me so it's probably you who should be apologizing to me," said Draco cocking his head at her.

"Sorry, I didn't see you there. Must have been blinded by the sun reflecting off your white old-man hair," she quipped.

"I like to think of it as a very light blonde, thank you. And it probably had more to do with you being blinded by that mop of red on your head you call hair."

She glared at him but self-consciously brushed it back, hoping it didn't look too bad. She hadn't really had time to fix it today. Then she shook herself realizing that she shouldn't care what Draco thought of her hair. He was Draco-freaking-Malfoy for Christ's sake!

"And besides, shouldn't you be thanking me?" he asked condescendingly.

"Thank you?" she said incredulously. "For what?"

"The quill," he answered raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, yeah," she blushed remembering the gift she had received last night. It had almost slipped her mind. "Err, umm, thank you, it was really nice. But you didn't have to."

He shrugged and said, "It was nothing."

She knew it meant nothing to him and it meant a lot more to her. _How pathetic_, she thought.

"I'm glad you liked it though," he said giving her that intense look again. She could barely meet his eyes but when she did she could barely look away.

"Well anyways, if you'll excuse me," she said, quickly grabbing her books off the table and turning on her heals. Without a backward glance she hurried out of the kitchen and upstairs.

* * *

As he watched her leave, Draco noticed some papers that had fallen out of her books and fluttered to the floor. He was about to call out to her when he realized that they were written in her handwriting. He looked around to see if anyone was around and then quickly tucked them into his pocket, planning to read them later. At the very least it would give him an excuse to tease the little witch again. And he did so enjoy teasing her.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** This is a bit of a shorter chapter but I wanted to get it out as soon as I finished it. It's a different perspective than before, this time from Draco's POA. Hopefully it will give you some more insight and answer some questions. I'm leaving for Italy in a week or so but hopefully I'll be able to get another chapter up before then. Until then, enjoy!

**Chapter 4**

Later that night Draco sat in his office at Malfoy Manor thinking about his interesting dinner. It had been fun to watch the weaslette squirm every time he looked at her. He couldn't really understand what it was about her that made him interested. He could never like her. After all, while the war may be over he was still a Malfoy and she was still a Weasley, though albeit, a very hot Weasley. But still, she intrigued him.

He remembered her back at Hogwarts with so much fire and passion yet here she was sitting at home and playing housewife to Potter. He didn't resent her for being with Potter since Draco liked him enough now but it was more the change in her. He didn't know the reason for the change but knew he definitely liked the old Ginny better. As much as you can like an annoying little redheaded Weasley. Maybe the reason he wanted to be around her was because when he teased her he saw the old flame spark again.

He shook his head trying to rid himself of this pansy thinking. He didn't care about the weaslette and he was perfectly fine with her living her life as Potter's little homemaker. Without thinking he reached his hand in his pocket and pulled out the parchment that had fallen out of Ginny's book earlier. He considered for a moment whether he should read it or not. After all, it was her private writing. But then again, there was no way he could just give it back without reading it first. He decided to forget about privacy and read it. Anyways, he could always just lie and say he never read it if she asked. He leaned back in his chair and put his feet on the desk as he started to read.

* * *

_I am not the same person anymore. I miss the girl I once was but she is dead like so many others. _

_The night of the final battle was the most terrifying of my life. I went, even though my parents begged me not to. They wanted to spare me the pain and horror. Sometimes I wish I had listened to them. I saw my friends die before my eyes. It was like they were there one minute and gone the next. Just because someone screamed two words and pointed a wand at them, they were dead and never coming back. _

_I saw Colin Creevey die and thought that the worst sound I would I ever hear would be the sound of his brother as he saw him hit with the blast. That was before I found out about Fred. When we went into the castle I saw George and immediately assumed they were both okay because to me they were inseparable. Even the great death couldn't separate Fred and George. Then I saw my mother weeping over a body on the floor. I don't know when I actually realized it was Fred's. _

_I thought it would all be over after the battle. We had lost people we loved but Voldemort was dead and that was supposed to be the end of it. But for weeks afterwards we still heard stories of more and more people who had been missing were found dead. There were even some rogue Death Eaters still stupid enough to hurt people in the name of their fallen Dark Lord. _

_I barely remember those first few weeks after. For weeks I walked around as a shell helping my mother take care of people. There were constantly members of the Order streaming in and out of the house so we constantly needed to clean and cook. It felt nice to not think and just help. It's what I still feel like I'm doing now sometimes. _

_If I think I'll have to accept the fear that I felt and still feel. Everyone says it will never happen again but that's what they said at the end of the last war too. And now here we are 17 years later with even more dead. If I start to think I may realize how much I lost that night: my brother, friends, and my innocence. I knew that the world could be a cruel place but seeing what people could do to each other shocked me like nothing before. _

_The bloodshed. The pain. The loss. And all of it done by humans fighting humans. It was too painful to think about then and it's still too painful to think about now. _

_I remember how it used to be; how I used to be. I used to be so carefree and fun, but I'm not like that anymore. Our world isn't like that anymore. I feel safe with my family but I know that I can never be the same person I was with them. I've tried to create a life but I don't know if I'll ever be able to move on from the war. Maybe I'm still hiding the way I hid after the Final Battle. And that may be a bad thing but it's all I can do to stay safe. _

* * *

For a long time after Draco finished he continued to stare at the paper in his hands. He felt guiltier than he'd ever felt before for taking it and reading it but at the same time he felt like he finally understood, maybe more than anyone else in Ginny's life did.

He knew that the war had affected a lot of people badly. Of course, most of the people he had known well before the war were Death Eaters or related to them so mostly he had known about the financial or judicial troubles they had faced. He had never really thought of the mental problems some people would have.

Draco hadn't actually been at the battle himself. At least not the majority of it. His family had gotten away after the battle continued. They had spent the majority of that night afraid and trying to plan for a future either running from the Order or running from Voldemort.

When they heard the news that it was Potter and the Order who had won Lucius did the only decent thing he had ever done for his family and left in the middle of the night without Narcissa or Draco. He knew that they would not be charged or harmed and that they didn't deserve to run. However, he was found days later and sentenced to Azkaban.

Looking at the letter again he thought about all the Ginny had been through. It was no surprise that she was hiding away at home when she was terrified of the world. But what should he do about it? After all, she's Potter's girl and you could barely even consider them friends. More like friendly acquaintances than anything else.

But there was something about her that made him want to help her. Maybe it was her honesty or her spicy personality or maybe it was his guilt over having been on the "wrong" side of the war. But for whatever reason he wanted to help her and just needed to figure out how.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **I'm back! Sorry I wasn't able to get up this chapter before I left but it wound up being much longer than I expected. Good news is I'm done with my Eurotrip so now I can write more so expect another chapter soon. There's more Ginny/Draco interaction in this chapter so I hope you all like it. Enjoy!

**Chapter 5**

Ginny woke the next morning after a long night of relatively little sleep. All night she had been plagued by nightmares she had thought were long gone. Writing yesterday must have messed with her head and now it was all she could do not to think about it.

To think of something else she thought back to dinner from the night before. Normally Ginny enjoyed when Harry and Ron brought home their friends but the entire time all Ginny could think about was Draco. She kept looking at him and would catch him look at her so she would then purposefully not look at him but she kept sneaking glances. After dinner she practically ran to the kitchen to help her mom clean up and then hid upstairs so as to avoid him.

She had no idea what was wrong with her. She shouldn't be thinking about Draco Malfoy at all. She had a boyfriend that she loved. Hell, she had loved Harry since she was a kid and now she had everything she ever wanted. No way was she going to screw it up because Malfoy kept getting under her skin.

Resigned that she wouldn't be going back to sleep she got up and pulled on her sweater and headed downstairs. She found her mom in the living room, knitting what looked like a sweater for Teddy.

"Hey mum," she said entering the room.

"Oh, Ginny, you're up so early! Is everything alright?" her mother asked worried. Ginny looked at the clock and realized it was 8:00 in the morning. She couldn't remember the last time she had been up so early.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just couldn't sleep," she said while fighting back a yawn. Her mother looked at her skeptically and Ginny didn't know if she was thinking about those few weeks after the Final Battle where she barely slept a wink to try and avoid the nightmares.

"Ok, well, I was just about to go wake Teddy. Would you do that for me while I start on the breakfast?" her mother said charming the knitting needles to continue their work as she got up.

"Sure," Ginny said and headed back upstairs to Teddy's room. Teddy had been given Percy's old room since he had his own apartment and was rarely ever home.

Teddy had been her one condolence during those weeks after. Teddy had lost both his mother and father in the battle and there had been a debate about where he would live. Harry had wanted to take him and raise him since he was the godfather but Mrs. Weasley wouldn't hear of Harry, still a teenager, raising a baby. Instead she had volunteered to take Teddy so that Harry could see him whenever he wanted and Harry knew he would have a good home.

During those weeks Ginny had felt like there was no happiness and no hope. She had lost a brother and many friends. At first she couldn't stand to be around Teddy because he was an orphan: a casualty of the war in a different way from those who were dead. However, one night she found herself wandering the house trying not to fall asleep when she passed by his nursery. For some reason she walked inside and just wound up standing there staring down at him in the moonlight. He looked so perfect and innocent. Suddenly he woke up and started to cry. Without a second thought Ginny had picked him up and started singing to him an old lullaby her mother used to sing. Within minutes he was asleep again but she continued to hold him and just watch him sleep.

After that night she felt a special connection to Teddy. While he may have been orphaned by the war he was still so pure and innocent and had no clue what the war had taken from so many people, himself included. She made it her mission to protect him from that truth as long as she could. She wanted to protect his innocence.

Ginny walked into his room and sat on the edge of his bed. She looked down at him and was thrilled to see him still as innocent and pure as that night. She knew it wouldn't last forever but for now he was safe.

"Teddy, time to wake up kiddo," she said running a hand through his floppy brown hair.

He rolled over and blinked up at her.

"Morning sunshine," she said.

"Why you awake?" he said sleepily. She laughed inwardly at how perceptive he was.

"Cause it's morning and we're going to have breakfast. Now get up sleepyhead."

She then lifted him up and put him on the floor. He immediately sprang into action and grabbed his blankie and ran out the door downstairs.

"C'mon Ginny," she heard him yell as he made his way downstairs. She laughed and followed.

Down in the kitchen her mother had breakfast well underway. She was just putting the eggs on the table when Mr. Weasley walked in the kitchen.

"Morning family," he said happily. That was one thing Ginny loved about her dad. Even after everything he had seen and been through he always had a smile on his face and could make you laugh even when all you wanted to do was cry.

"Morning Arthur. Mind you eat your eggs before you leave," she said putting down some sausage as well.

"Morning princess," he said kissing Ginny on the head. He ruffled Teddy's hair and sat at the table. Once his plate was loaded up with food he became absorbed in the paper. Luckily there was never anything as bad as what they had been reporting two years ago.

"So got any plans today?" Mr. Weasley asked as he put down the paper to grab a forkful of food.

"Oh, just the usual cleaning and such. I was thinking about doing a turkey for dinner," Mrs. Weasley answered.

"Sounds fine with me," he answered. "How 'bout you Gin?"

"I was thinking I might go do some writing again today," she answered though she didn't know why. After yesterday she didn't want to think about writing at all again. Then again, writing about something different might actually help her to rid herself of the nightmares.

"That sounds like a good idea. You should go visit Harry too while you're there. I'm sure he would love to see you. I'll even make you a lunch to bring over," Mrs. Weasley said with a smile. She knew that her mom thought of Harry as one of her own and loved spoiling him. Ginny wondered sometimes what her mother would do if she decided to break up with Harry. Not that she was thinking about breaking up with Harry, of course.

"Sure that sounds good," Ginny said.

Shortly afterwards Mr. Weasley left for work and Ginny and Mrs. Weasley started on the basic chores. On normal days like these they each did their jobs and could be done pretty quickly. This would then leave Ginny to play with Teddy during the afternoon while Mrs. Weasley would do other things like knit or cook dinner.

However, today Ginny packed up her writing utensils and Mrs. Weasley gave her a bag with two lunches for her and Harry and sent her on her way.

When Ginny arrived in London she wondered for a minute whether she should go to Diagon Alley and write first or see Harry. She decided to see Harry because he would probably be hungry for lunch and she wasn't quite in the mood to write yet.

She walked around the block and entered the familiar guest entrance to the Ministry of Magic. Entering the lobby she was happy to see the old fountains back in place with a new memorial also there to commemorate the fallen victims of both the first and second wars. She didn't stare at it too long and instead proceeded to the lifts.

A few minutes later she arrived at Harry's office in the Auror department.

"Oh, hi Ginny. I'm so glad to see you, it feels like forever! How are you?" asked Mrs. Kensington, Harry's friendly secretary. Her husband had been killed in the war but she was still always so cheerful.

"I'm good Mrs. Kensington. How are you? Are Greg and Ashley good?"

"Oh yes, they're great. You here to see Harry?" she asked.

"Yeah, I brought him some lunch. Is he free?"

"Oh how sweet you are. He actually just finished a meeting. Go right on in," she said.

"Thanks!" Ginny said smiling as she walked past her through the door.

Harry was sitting at his desk, reading something when he looked up.

"Ginny! Hey! I didn't expect to see you today," he said getting up and walking over to her.

"Yeah I just thought I would bring you some lunch and we could eat together," she said showing him the bag she carried.

"Yeah, that sounds great. Thanks babe," he said giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Why don't we go eat in the café?"

"Sure," she said taking Harry's outstretched hand. Together they exited his office and Harry locked the door behind him.

"Shirley, I'm going to go to lunch. Hold any messages for me," he said.

"Ok, have a good time," she replied with a smile and a wave.

Harry led Ginny down the corridors to the café for the Ministry. It was designed to feel as though you were outside since the building was underground. The ceiling was enchanted to look like the one at Hogwarts and the windows reflected an image of the outdoors. They sat down at the table and Ginny started to pull out the lunch her mom had prepared for them.

"This looks great. You're the best," Harry said looking at all the food. Ginny blushed and felt a little guilty since it had honestly been her mom's idea and she hadn't even thought of visiting Harry.

"It's no problem. Mom made the food anyways so you should really be thanking her," she explained.

"Well, I still love it when you come to visit me," he said giving her hand a kiss. "It makes my day so much better."

She felt a pang of guilt though she couldn't place why. Just as they were about to start eating they heard a voice call out.

"Potter! There you are!" snarled an angry voice.

They both turned to see who said it and were surprised to see a smiling Draco.

"Oh, Draco. What the hell? I was about to hex you," said Harry though he was grinning. It seemed they really were getting along like friends.

Ginny could barely meet Draco's eyes thinking about their last encounter and also the dream she had had. When she did glance up she was surprised to find him starring at her with a weird look. It was almost like sadness though she doubted she had ever seen Draco sad a day in his life.

"Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt you guys. Just wanted to let you know that Kingsley was looking for you. Something about a paper he needed from you," Draco said turning his attention away from Ginny.

"Oh, damn! I forgot to tell Shirley to send the report on to him days ago. I should go hand-deliver it to him," he said. He turned to look at Ginny. "Babe, I'm really sorry but I have to go do this right away. Mind if we reschedule?"

Inside Ginny was a little sad to be pushed aside for something as trivial as a report but she had surprised him after all. And it wasn't like she had even expected to come here today.

"Yeah, of course. Go ahead. We can do this another time," she said giving him a small smile as reassurance.

"Thanks!" he said placing a small kiss on her head as he got up. "I'll talk to you tonight."

She watched Harry leave with a feeling of annoyance. However, it was only when she heard Draco sit down in Harry's seat that she realized he was still there.

She looked at him questioningly.

"Can I help you?" she asked with an annoyed tone. She knew she wasn't annoyed at him but at least she could take it out on someone.

"Well, I figured I would join you for lunch if you have all this food and no one to eat it with," he said smugly as he helped himself to half the chicken sandwich her mom had packed.

"I don't remember inviting you to join me."

"Oh, don't worry. No need to ask," he smirked.

She huffed but realized he wasn't going anywhere so she began to eat the lunch as well. It did beat eating alone after all and she did have too much food for herself.

_And you want to spend time with him_, her subconscious pointed out.

They sat in an awkward silence for a moment. Ginny didn't know whether to be mad at him or not. He was always so obnoxious but deep down he made her smile just a little. She tried to think back to the Draco she had hated in school and could barely even remember him. The Draco sitting next to her now was just so different. Never before would she have imagined a Draco who would joke with Harry and sit down to lunch with her.

"Hem..." Draco coughed pulling her out of her thoughts. "So, what are you doing today? More writing?"

"Maybe. I hadn't really decided. I figured lunch would take longer," she admitted. She really didn't want to talk about her writing with him. It was so personal and she almost wished she hadn't shown him her story the other day.

"Have you always been a writer?" he asked inquisitively.

A writer? Ginny didn't really know if she considered herself a writer. She had always just written stories to help her cope and take her mind off all the bad things.

"I suppose. When I was younger it was just diaries but then after my first year I switched to writing fictional stories," she replied.

"What happened in your first year?" he asked. She looked at him with astonishment. Surely he hadn't forgotten.

It took a second of him looking at her face to realize he had missed something big. He thought back to her first year and his second year. Then he remembered why she might have stopped writing in a diary.

"Oh, shit," he said looking slightly humbled. "I know why."

"Yeah, I didn't really want to write in a diary much after that."

"Have you ever thought about writing professionally?" he asked trying to change the subject.

"No, not really," she answered without providing more details.

A long pause followed after that. She had never discussed her writing like this with anyone else before. After the diary incident everyone had wanted things to go back to normal so while her family noticed the writing no one ever wanted to talk about it since it was linked to her past.

"Don't you have work to do?" she asked only realizing afterwards how rude it sounded. She didn't want him to leave but she hated the way he made her feel. The way he made her question everything.

"Why, am I bothering you Red?" he teased with a nefarious grin on his face. She glared back at him but wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing just how much he got under her skin.

"No, I just figured that you would be more important. Apparently you're not. Now Harry on the other hand, he's extremely important. He's always being called off to this meeting or that," she said wanting to spark some of the old rivalry in Draco. Her boyfriend did make wonderful bait for Draco.

"Well, I guess his loss is my gain because now I get to spend time with you," he smirked and casually put his arm around her shoulder.

The second his arm touched her skin her insides went on high alert. Her body ached to feel him touch her more, the way he had in her dream but her brain was screaming at her to run. She felt a blush creep up over her entire body. Not wanting Draco to know the way he affected her she tried to keep cool and casually shrugged out from under his arm.

"Shouldn't you know better than to flirt with your friend's girlfriend?" she said as she stood up and grabbed her bag.

"Was I flirting? I was only saying how I liked to spend time with you, my other friend," he said trying to sound innocent.

For a second she paused wondering if she had read the situation wrong. Maybe she just thought he was flirting because she wanted him to flirt with her. But then she looked at him and saw him smirking at her and knew she was right.

"I don't like games Draco," she said as she turned and started to walk away. She only got a few steps before he grabbed her hand and spun her around to face him. Her body was so close to his that she could feel the heat radiating off his body.

"Really, because I don't remember the last time I saw you this alive," he said, his face only a few inches away from hers. For a second she didn't know what to do and could feel her brain and body pulling her in two different directions.

Luckily, she was saved a moment later when someone behind Draco called him. While he was momentarily distracted she slipped her wrist out of his grasp and bolted for the door before he could catch her.


End file.
